What She Sees
by AmericanBornChinese
Summary: ...we all know what she doesn't. Face it, Kahoko's blind. So naturally, Amou decides to mess with the boys a little to test their limits...but maybe she takes it a little too far. A collection of drabbles. Pairing unknown. Please read and review!
1. Losing to the BlueHaired Jerk

**_Author's Note: Hi everyone! This on-going fic is dedicated to two good friends of mine, KazukiLuvr and AnimeViolinist. Kazukiluvr has been there for me since I first started writng, as a beta-reader and a friend. AnimeViolinist is a new friend of mine, and an authoress with great potential. I now beta read for her, so please read her stories!_**

_**This chapter is from Tsuchiura's point of view, because I thought it'd be best to start the story. It'll rotate from boy-to-boy, y'know? Hmm...Tsuchiura, Yunoki, Hihara, Shimizu, and Yunoki. Maybe I'll add in bonus chappies from Amou and Hinos' points of view. It'll be fun...**_

**_This fic is just a bunch of drabbles, so it's going to swing from topic-to-topic. Please review and tell me what you think!  
_**

**_DISCLAIMER: I don't own La Corda D'oro. All rights belong to the author and other respective right holders. Enjoy!

* * *

_**It was around midnight. I'd just had soccer practice and I was tired as hell. My bed looked real nice then, the blankets neatly folded on the foot of the bed and the pillow looking incredibly soft. Sleep was taunting me--I could barely keep my eyes open long enough to read a sentence.

What the hell was I doing awake when I was ready to pass out? Homework. What else _could _I have been doing?

_Damn..._I thought, banging my head on the desk in frustration. _Why didn't I do the homework earlier?_ I wondered, pressing my cheek against the surface of my desk. I was beating myself up mentally. _I'm such an idiot... _I scolded myself, and closed my eyes. I yawned sleepily. I couldn't believe I had to do homework so late in the night. _A quick nap doesn't sound so bad...I'll wake up and finish my homework before school starts. _I decided stupidly. My mind began to enter a dream. A red haired angel, laughing beside me...

A loud buzz snapped me back awake. _What the...?_ I grabbed my vibrating phone, and looked at the screen. Amou had sent me a text message, a fact that bothered me for two reasons: first, I hated her. She was the last person I wanted to associate with at midnight. Secondly, it just plain freaked me out that she knew my number.

I opened her message cautiously. _"Hey Tsuchiura! It's Amou. Up late doing homework, huh?" _It read. I glowered at the bold, black words for a while, absorbing the meaning of them. Finally understanding the mocking tone of her message, I groaned and let my head fall to the desk again. I grabbed my phone and instantly began writing her back. _"Shut the hell up, Amou. What do you want?"_

Her answer was expected: _"A story." _I groaned again. _Jeez...this girl doesn't give me a break, does she?_ I read the rest of her reply. _"Open your window, will ya?"_

I froze. _My window?_ Hesitantly, I got up and pulled the window open, bracing myself. I heard her voice--sharp and prominent in the otherwise silent night. "Hey Tsuchiura! Surprised to see me?" She asked, and winked. She was standing right outside my bedroom window. _How the hell did she get here? Follow me home or something?_ I wondered, pissed beyond imagination. She continued. "Hey, I'm looking for a story, and I think I found the base of a really good one. But I want you to be there to witness the discovery. It might interest you."

I dropped my head into my hands and rubbed my temples. "Go get a friggin' life, Amou. It's past midnight, and you want me to go with you to spy on someone?" I asked in disbelief. I looked up at her. "I honestly don't believe you."

She grinned. "And I honestly think you'd like to know that Tsukimori-kun is in love with Hino Kahoko." She said, and winked. She laughed at the way my I snapped to attention. "I knew you would."

_Damn, Amou! _I thought furiously. "What the hell are you talking about, Amou? That guy's an ice block. He doesn't love anyone." I said, more for my sake than hers. "If you're interested in his love life, you're not going to get a story."

She scoffed. "Just get out here. It'll be really fun." She said. "Besides, aren't you interested at all? You know...what Tsukimori-kun does when nobody's watching?"

I shrugged indifferently. Mentally, I shuddered at the thought. It freaked me out that Amou cared about what Tsukimori-kun does when nobody's watching.

Thankfully, she didn't seem to notice my pained expression. "Oh, come _on!_ Lemme put it this way, then. Aren't you interested at all in what your _rival_ thinks of _Hino Kahoko?" _She asked, taking a step forward. "Tsukimori could have built a shrine to her, for all we know. Maybe he's planning on confessing sometime before he leaves...?"

I stiffened. _Tsukimori-kun, confessing to Hino? She'd never love him back..._I thought, then turned the whole thing over again in my mind. _But then again...what if Kahoko would feel bad that she's the only thing keeping him from his studies? She's so weak when it comes to him...she'll accept right away..._I grew more worried the longer I pondered the situation.

I glanced back up at Amou. She stood there proudly, hands on her hips, knowing that she had won this part of our battle. There was no way in hell I wanted to let the girl win, but _man,_ she knew my weakness. The one thing I'd hate more than losing to Nami was losing my battle for Kahoko against _Len. _Kazuki, maybe I'd be okay with losing to him, but definitely not _Tsukimori Len. _If I loose to Amou, then it will definitely put this huge dent in my pride. But...(and this may sound corny, coming from me) if I lose Kahoko to Tsukimori the Blue-Haired Jerk, then it'll hurt my heart.

"Well?" She demanded, smiling like she already knew the answer. Which she did.

I glared at her with hatred in my eyes. "..._fine._ I'll help you spy on the jerk. But it's not to help you with your damn story, it's for Kahoko. And that's it." I said, making sure to get the point across.

"Sure, sure. Just get out here already. I'm freezing and it'll be dawn in a few hours." She said, but showed no signs of being cold.

I sighed. "Fine, your majesty." I said, and heaved myself onto the windowsill, ducking so that my head didn't hit the window. I jumped down easily, and said, "So, where exactly are we headed, anyways?"

It was funny how she looked so much smaller when I stood next to her. I guess it was only when she had something over me that she looked intimidating. She smirked devilishly. "Where else, idiot? Tsukimori's house, of course." She said, then grabbed my arm and pulled me with her. "It's this way, but you _have_ to pick your feet up, seriously. I'd expected you to be faster than that." She said, rather distastefully.

I pulled my arm free of her death-grip. "Dammit, Amou. You really expect me to _walk_ all the way there?"

She stopped abruptly, and turned to face me, a fire blazing in her eyes. "No. I expect you to _run."

* * *

_

"Look!" She hissed, pulling me behind a bush and pointing at the window of a brightly-lit room. "See him? It's Tsukimori-kun!" She said, and sure enough, I saw the Blue-Haired Jerk, playing his violin. As if that surprised me.

I saw the door to the room being opened, and another figure walked in. It was a girl. I thought that it could have been his mother, but taking a closer look, I realized that this girl was slender and more scrawny than Hamai Misa. Then I noticed the red hair. _What?! Is that...Kahoko?_ I wondered, hoisting myself up and walking closer to get a better look.

Amou's hand darted out and pulled me back down. "_Don't._" She said, her voice dangerously low. "You really want Tsukimori to see us out here? Spying on him?"

"But he's with Kahoko!" I insisted, trying to stand up, but finding her grip incredibly strong.

"_So?_ I came here for a story, and I'm not letting you ruin it!" She said, as loud as she dared. Then, a wry smile slid across her face as if she'd just realized something. "Hey Tsuchiura...You always seem so concerned about Hino-san." She stated, and the way she said it made me uncomfortable. "I mean, always following her, looking out for her, helping her...could it be because you--"

"Don't say it, Amou." I hissed, trying to get her to shut the hell up.

"--love her?" She said, finishing anyways.

I narrowed my eyes, and was grateful that it was night--that way she couldn't see me blushing. "I told you not to say it!" I said angrily. "I _don't_ love her...well, I do, but as a younger sister. I don't want her to get hurt."

Amou laughed quietly. "Sure, sure. Whatever you say, Mr. Hino." She whispered, putting her hands up defensively. "You don't care if she's with Tsukimori, then."

She'd gotten me. Right in my weak spot. "_Dammit,_ Amou, I _do_ care, of course. But only because I don't want to see my little sis end up with the wrong guy."

"Little sis..." She repeated, testing out how it sounded. Then she chuckled. "If you say so, Tsuchiura. Tsukimori won't care. You're not related, so...she has a right to love him, right?" Then, her eyes flashed to Tsukimori-kun's house. "Oh my god, look!" She gasped--rather artificially-- and pointed.

There was Tsukimori, his arms holding hers. Kahoko was holding her violin rather unsteadily, but Len was there, supporting her and holding up her arms. He moved her arms, as if to show her how to move the bow, and she closed her eyes, leaning her weight into him. And Amou--Amou only multiplied my pain. "You say you don't love her, but you're so bothered by the way he teaches her violin?"

I turned around, hurt by what I saw. "Yes. I am."

I got up and ran the whole way home.


	2. I Hope You're Happy with My Best Friend

_**A/N: **_**It's been...so long...** **I've been busy with school. To be honest, I actually lost interest in writing for a while. Then I rediscovered the joys of manga and La Corda D'oro, specifically, and quickly got back to updating this. I know it's about a couple of years late now, but forgive me. I didn't forget about anyone.**

**_Disclaimer: I do not own La Corda D'oro, its characters, and/or plot. All rights belong to Kure Yuki. Thank you and enjoy!_**

* * *

Not gonna lie, guys: I'm not an outstanding guy. Sure, I was selected to perform in the concours, and yeah, maybe I've heard that people think I'm pretty attractive, too (they must be blind). It's true I even starred in a commercial. But let's face it: it's pretty tough to stand out when everyone around you seems to be so much more exceptional than you are. What I mean to say is, I wish I were smart. I wish I could talk to girls as easily as Kaji-kun, could practice trumpet as diligently and patiently as Tsukimori-san does violin. I wish I were as quietly observant as Shimizu-kun, as multi-talented and masculine as Tsuchiura-kun. I wish I possessed the confidence, talent, charm, and intelligence Yunoki so casually flaunted before me each and every day of our friendship.

But then there's Hino Kahoko, the girl who makes me forget all of my selfish desires and jealous thoughts, whose smile can just melt all of my worries away. When I'm with her, I feel like I can relax and be truly happy. I want to make her as happy as she makes me. When she's in pain, I want to be there for her, to collect her into my arms and stroke her hair and be able to tell her everything will be fine because we're together. I want her to know how much she means to me, but how will she recognize my feelings for her when I'm surrounded by inhumanly perfect guys? Inhumanly perfect guys who could so easily sweep her off of her feet like characters straight out of a manga? I can't do something like that. I'm Hihara Kazuki. I'm not an outstanding guy.

"Hey, Hihara-senpai! Wait up!" A voice called from behind me. Loud, mildly obnoxious—it was obvious to whom it belonged: Amou. She's the type of person who enjoys digging around for drama. I suppose that's a good hobby for journalists to have. She particularly enjoyed pestering me about my "new fame" after I appeared in a commercial. She's not a bad person (actually, she's kind of fun because she's got so much enthusiasm), but we don't talk much. And when we do, well…

I inhaled, preparing myself for an interrogation. "Hi Amou-san," I said, stopping and turning to face her. "What's up? Do you need to talk to me about something?"

"As a matter of fact, I do!" She beamed, stopping quickly to pull up her sock before approaching me. "You know how you like Kahoko, right? Well, I was just thinking that it seems—"

"I…I _what_?" I stammered. _Am I that obvious?_

"Oh, come _on_, Hihara-senpai," Amou snarled. I was really liking her less and less. "You'd have to be blind or dumb not to realize!" She cackled. Maybe it wasn't a cackle, but I kind of think she's a witch. Suddenly, a more thoughtful expression crossed her face. "Then again…Kahoko doesn't seem to realize it…."

"Amou! Why are you talking so loudly? Quiet down a bit!" I whined. I lowered my voice to barely a whisper. "Listen, it's not something I want getting around."

"Oh, right! Of course not!" She tilted her head back in roaring laughter. _Give me a break…_ "But I mean, I just figured that you'd like to know how Yunoki-senpai gets around. I'd sure be curious if I were you."

I paused. _What is she talking about?_ _Yunoki has nothing to do with Kaho-chan…_I collected my thoughts. _Right, I guess some people don't like how Yunoki seems to flirt with all girls in existence…_ "Amou, I know that sometimes Yunoki seams a little sleazy with all of his fangirls, but he's really not like that at all. He isn't really interested in relationships or anything right now."

Amou smiled her sneaky, wry smile. To this day, I still cringe whenever I think of it. "Hihara-senpai, please. You mean you didn't know that your _best friend_ is fooling around with your _crush_?"

Blood rushed to my face in an instant. "Wh-What?! Azuma doesn't do that!"

Amou giggled to herself. Oh yeah, no big deal. To Amou, nothing was ever really a big deal until it was a scoop. "I don't know, he and Kahoko were getting _pretty_ close after the dance last night. Out on the rooftop. I saw them," she smirked.

* * *

_"What are you doing out here, Yunoki-senpai?" Kahoko asked innocently as she stepped out of the stairwell and onto the rooftop. "You didn't go to the dance, right?"_

_Azuma turned to face her, seeming unsurprised. Cool. Calm. As always. "No, I didn't. Such events are not…my cup of tea, shall we say." The corners of his lips turned upwards into his signature polite smile. "And you? Is the dance over yet?"_

_Kaho-chan nodded meekly. "Yep, but I thought I'd like to get some practicing done before I went home." She paused, then added quickly, "I suppose you didn't get to dance with anyone, huh?"_

_Azuma chuckled to himself and took a step forward. "Would you care to dance with me now, Kahoko? It's a beautiful night. There's no one around." He grinned encouragingly._

_Kahoko blushed, her adorable features contorting into an expression of confusion. It's true that it's much more romantic out here than it was at the dance…she thought to herself. The view from the rooftop was fantastic – the city seemed so small beneath the sparkling stars above. After considering Yunoki's offer, Kahoko consented. "I'd love to."_

_To dance with Yunoki-senpai…it had been her secret desire all along. His delicate, flawless features enchanted her. She loved the eloquence of his speech, the politeness of his behavior. Just as every girl did._

_Yunoki placed his delicate hand on her shoulder, drawing her near to him. He had always observed Kahoko from afar, clandestinely yearning for her touch, eagerly awaiting her smile each time he saw her. He combed his fingertips through her soft, beautiful red hair and rested his forehead against hers. Their noses were so close to touching. Her heart skipped_ _a beat when she felt his warm breath mingle with hers in the cool night air…_

* * *

_No, _I thought. _No, that can't possibly have happened! _It had to have been just my overactive imagination again. _They wouldn't…They didn't…_My heart thudded in my ears, and I felt myself growing truly angry for the first time in a long while. "Amou, _keep out of other people's business for once in your life,_" I hissed, the ferocity in my voice surprising even myself.

I took a deep breath, gently pressed the back of my hand against my cheek in hopes of cooling my face down. I wasn't sure when I'd last lost my composure to this extent…

Amou, on the other hand, was fine and dandy. She shrugged nonchalantly, reached into her bag, and casually tossed an envelope at my face. "You know, Hihara-senpai, it would be a good idea for you to do some investigating before pointing the blame on others." And with that, she turned on her heels, tossing her golden locks over one shoulder as she strode off.

In my confusion and distress, I fumbled with the envelope, struggling to find the opening. I accidentally let its contents fall to the floor – a collection of photographs, scattered on the concrete pavement. I bent over to collect them before anyone else had a chance to see them.

I almost didn't want to look at them. How could I? How could I look at photographs that would confirm my new suspicions of _Kahoko_ and _Azuma_? My beloved Kaho-chan with my best friend in the world…There was no way I was ready to face so cruel a truth.

Ready or not, the truth slapped me in the face. I took one look at the pictures, and there it was: Kahoko and Azuma dancing, embracing on the rooftop of the music building. _This can't be…_ I thought furiously. And yet, there it was. The proof was in my hands. In one of the photos, Azuma was caressing Kahoko's cheek…

I decided to give the whole thing some thought. I calmly slipped the photos back into the envelope, which I slid into my back pocket. I headed off to class.

The entire way there, I couldn't help but continue to imagine Azuma and Kahoko, together on the rooftop the previous evening.

* * *

_"I love you, Kahoko. I always have," Yunoki confessed. "Since the moment you arrived at the music academy, I knew it was you whom I loved." He trailed his fingertips over her cheek._

_"Oh, Yunoki-senpai…" Kahoko responded, her voice barely a whisper. "I love you, too." Azuma leaned in towards her, their faces getting ever closer together. She closed her eyes bashfully, her cheeks pink and burning and beautiful in the moonlight. Their noses brushed. Azuma pulled her towards him, slowly closing the distance between their lips…_

* * *

I didn't let my imagination go any further than that. I couldn't. In that moment, I thought I would die if I did.

* * *

**A/N: Even though Hihara is my favorite character, it seems that I can't master his tone of voice...Do forgive me. I think I'm more cut out for writing from Tsuchiura's or Yunoki's perspectives. Hahahaa...Alright, please review! My writing's a little rusty...**


	3. Arise, Fair Sun

**_Author's note: _I finally got a chance to update this! Haha. I actually had this chapter pretty much finished for a few weeks now, but I've been too lazy to clean it up. So...here it is! Please enjoy!  
**

**DISCLAIMER: I do NOT own La Corda D'oro. All characters belong to Yuki Kure and other right holders. **

* * *

It was the perfect evening. After a long day of running around the school cultural festival with Tsuchiura-kun and the lovely Hino Kahoko, I finally had the opportunity to share a dance with her. I even convinced her to wear the theater club's "Juliet" costume (especially fitting with myself as Romeo) and had the satisfaction of beating Tsuchiura for her attention for once. It turned out to be a good thing that he doesn't like to dance.

Still, I felt as though something was amiss. Perhaps it had something to do with Shimizu-kun's bold attempt to steal Kahoko's first dance from me. Or, more likely, the fact that Kahoko accidentally stepped on my foot when I finally _did_ get to dance with her. But I simply can't blame Shimizu for being curious and wanting to dance with one of the only girls with whom he is acquainted, nor can I blame Kahoko for never having danced before. There was something else, something that felt…off.

I couldn't help but ponder the circumstances as I took a break from dancing and went to get some punch for Kahoko and myself. _It was so great to dance with Kahoko today, and the whole festival was a lot of fun, _I thought, paying little attention to my surroundings._ There shouldn't be anything wrong, right?_

I decided it best to shake off such negative emotions and head back over to Kahoko, knowing she would cheer me up. However, as I turned around to find her in the crowd, someone else found me first.

"Kaji-kun!" Goldilocks exclaimed, prancing towards me energetically. _Oh no_, I thought, _here it goes…_ The girl shuffled to a stop before me. "Kaji-kun, how do you like the dance?"

The unfortunate thing about Nami Amou is this: you simply cannot rid yourself of her constant pestering once she gets a hold of your name. She managed to get a hold of mine pretty early on, without asking me for it: being the journalist she is, she was determined to interview me as a new student and tennis player at Seisou. I deemed her harmless at first, but she started approaching me more and more, forcing me to realize just how agitating she truly was. There were so many moments when I just wanted to tell her to go away. For now, though, I sucked it up and put on a smile. "I think it's quite…lively. And how are you on this fine evening?"

Amou beamed back. "I'm doing super, thanks." She tapped her camera, which was hanging from her neck. "D'ya mind if I snap a photo of you? I'm writing an article about the dance."

"Aha, not at all!" I felt sick, but grinned as best I could for Amou and her Canon. She took a photo of me and looked at the camera screen to check it. I decided to make small talk. "So, have you danced with anyone?"

"Hm?" She said. It seemed she didn't quite hear me. She was now squinting at the camera's screen and smirking to herself from time to time, flipping through her photos. Suddenly, as if my question had finally registered, she snapped her attention back to me. "Oh, me? Hah. No. No one's asked me. It's really not my thing, anyways." She sneered at me. "Why? Are you asking me to dance with you, Kaji-kun?"

"Now, now. Don't go putting words in my mouth." I smiled gently. "Besides, I already have a date."

She raised an eyebrow, but her smile never wavered. "Oh? That's certainly news to me. Who could it be?" _What a brat._ She leaned in, squinting, as if trying to search my eyes for an answer. "Shouko-chan? Um…Akane? Maki?"

"Oh, Amou. They're just my friends. I haven't danced with any of them."

"Hmm." She rubbed her chin. "Could you mean Kahoko?"

There was something in the slyness of tone that ticked me off. I didn't let my expression betray me, and instead smiled innocently. "Mhm. But tonight, she is Juliet and I am Romeo."

"Oh, really…" She snickered deviously. "So it seems you think you're on a date with Hino Kahoko, eh?"

I wiped the smile from my face. "Perhaps. Why do you ask?"

"I understand why you'd think that way. I mean, she always lets you tag along." Her voice changed then, shifting into something sweeter, gentler. "Don't misunderstand me. Kahoko's a sweet girl and all. But you see, there's at least one other guy who likes her just as much as you do. How do you know which one of you _she _likes?"

Without realizing it, I scowled. "What are you talking about, Amou?"

She simpered at my expression. "Aw, look at you. Kaji, haven't you noticed it too? Hihara-senpai asked her to dance. Isn't it obvious how much he likes her?"

_Well, he did butt into our dance and steal Kahoko away from me. _I gave it some thought, recalling the incident. _But he's a pretty harmless guy, right?_ I sighed then. "Amou, Hihara-senpai probably asked a considerable number of girls to dance with him. After all, he has so many fangirls now," I managed, more for my sake than for hers.

"Oh, but Kaji-kun, you too have quite a few fangirls. You're very popular here," she smiled, gesturing towards the girls who giggled as they passed by me. "But you're interested only in Hino Kahoko. How sweet."

I tried to maintain my upbeat image by forcing a smile. "My heart belongs to her. I will win her heart, you can be sure of that."

Amou shrugged nonchalantly. "Suit yourself." And with that, she disappeared onto the dance floor.

_That Amou…_I shook my head. _She might benefit from minding her own business every once in a while. _

I spotted Kahoko across the room. She tends to stand out in a crowd, what with her long red hair and delicate frame. I started moving towards her, quickly forgetting my encounter with Amou. She was smiling, and I found I was grinning myself. But the smile on my face faded as I drew nearer, noticing how happily she was chatting with Kazuki. They were still dancing, and she was flashing him her adorable smile.

For a moment, her gaze was pointed in my direction. I quickly spun on my heels so as to disguise my confusion. Confusion, was it? Or pain?

_I need air, _I thought frantically. _Why is it so hot in here? I need to get out of this room…_

I made my way towards an exit, my pace quickening with each step until it became a dash. I practically burst through the French doors to the balcony and leaned over the railing, panting and distraught. I very rarely lose my composure the way I did, so I was irritated by my own behavior. Still, I needed to cool off. I closed my eyes, trying to clear my mind of negative thoughts. It was impossible. How could I do that with the knowledge of my beloved Kahoko in the arms of Hihara Kazuki?

Staring down at the quad below, I couldn't help but wish Kahoko were somewhere out there, in the night. "Kahoko, Kahoko…Wherefore art thou, Kahoko?" I muttered, a slight smile creeping onto my lips. I could picture Kahoko, watching me from the shadows. _"But soft, what light through yonder window breaks?" _She'd whisper to herself, and our eyes would meet._ "It is the east, and Kaji is the sun! Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon…"_

I wondered then if it was possible that we were star-crossed lovers, as Romeo and Juliet so tragically were. Could it be that I couldn't be with the woman I loved so fervently? Did the stars forbid our love?

_Then I defy you, stars._


End file.
